


Lover’s Reunion

by Scribblesinink (Scribbler)



Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-11-21
Updated: 2001-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 07:19:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribbler/pseuds/Scribblesinink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Elders are desperate for the Charmed Ones' help, they offer Cole a chance to redeem himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lover’s Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a sequel to _[Lover's Leap](http://archiveofourown.org/works/27844)_. You might want to read that first, although it is not strictly necessary. _Lover's Leap_ was written during Season 3. _Lover's Reunion_ is based on the same premises and thus Prue is still very much alive.

### Prologue

Phoebe's shout had been the last thing Cole heard when he turned to smoke and took with him the demoness that had given birth to him. He still heard her scream. It hummed in his consciousness, round and round and round. He wished she would shut up; her voice was a continuous torment that he couldn't escape as he drifted in an intense darkness.

It was a wonder that he still possessed awareness. Cole didn't know where he was – he was fairly certain it wasn't purgatory. Which was a source of endless amazement. With the unspeakable crimes he had committed, he should have gone straight to Hell, even before the flames in the mausoleum had died. Instead, he was here.

He didn't know how much time passed. At some moments it seemed he had been here forever, in this dark nothingness. At other times, he thought he'd just arrived, an instant ago. He tried to number the seconds yet somehow always lost count: he never made it past 'six'.

Sometimes, Cole thought he saw others. He didn't have eyes as such, but in his peripheral vision he caught them anyway. Other souls, entities, pale blurs streaking by on their way to who knows where. He tried calling them, but there was no sound. There was nothing. Nothing except his memories. And Phoebe's desperate voice in his mind.

Then, after a minute or a millennium, he heard another sound, a voice. If he had had ears, he would have perked them up. Any sort of distraction would be welcome.

"Cole."

He recognized the voice. "Leo? Leo Wyatt?"

"Yes."

"What- How- Why-" Cole stuttered. In pure gratitude for the break in the endless monotony he tried to ask a million questions at once. At last he settled on the one that was most important. "Where am I?"

"You're in limbo," the invisible Whitelighter replied.

"How? That can't be," Cole said. "There's nothing here. Nada."

"Limbo is different for everyone," Leo explained. "Yours is blank, because they cannot make up their minds about where your soul should go."

"Why not?" Cole asked. "I would have dispatched it to Hell in a blink. Do they know all the things I've done? What I did to Phoebe?" He clearly remembered the horrible deeds he had committed as Belthazor. After all, his memories were all he had left.

"So would I," Leo agreed. "But they are not so certain. They feel that in your final moments you have shown the promise of redemption. And now they are debating your fate."

"How long-" Cole began.

"Almost fifteen years."

"Fifteen years?!" Cole cried. If he had had a body, he would have plonked to the floor in shock. If there had been a floor, that is. "Are you telling me that the Elders haven't been able to make up their minds in fifteen years?"

"They don't make such decisions lightly." The shrug was audible in Leo's tone.

"You could say that again," Cole muttered. "Fifteen years… Why are you here?"

The silence lasted so long that Cole feared Leo was gone. "Leo?"

The reply was brusque. "We need your help."

Cole barked a laugh. "My help? You're kidding, right?" He laughed again. This was not only a welcome diversion from fifteen years of nothing; it was hilarious as well! "What could you possibly need my help with?"

"Phoebe."

It was as if a bucketful of cold water had been poured over him and the laughter died on his lips. "Phoebe? Is something wrong with Phoebe? She is all right, isn't she?"

### Ghosts from the past

"Happy birthday, eh?" Phoebe muttered. She raised her glass and toasted her reflection in the cracked mirror behind the bar. A tired face looked back at her. She blinked to keep her reflection in focus and sipped from her orange drink. What did the locals call it again? Oh yeah, a Hurricane. She snorted. Not much of a storm to speak of. She didn't usually go out for a drink; she didn't have the money to spend. But tonight she had decided she needed to celebrate. After all, how many times did one hit the big Four-Oh?

Some birthday party it was. She looked around the empty bar. A mishmash of chairs stood crookedly around tables marked with rings where countless glasses had stained the ancient lacquer. In the corner two old-timers with skins wrinkled to leather sat downing shots of whiskey. They had been shrimp fishermen until the bayou ran out of shrimp. She sure was in good company. They looked as disgruntled with life as she felt.

Phoebe swallowed the last of the orange liquid. The night wasn't going to get any happier so she might as well return to her grubby hotel room and wallow in misery. At least the liquor would help her sleep. It dulled the pain that she felt whenever she reflected on her life.

She knew exactly when things had gone wrong: the night Cole vanquished himself. She had blamed Prue for giving him the means to do it; it was her sister that provided the potion. That night Phoebe had decided she didn't want anything to do with magic anymore. She renounced her powers and left San Francisco. She never returned.

Deep down Phoebe knew that who she really blamed was herself. For giving him a reason.

She hopped off the bar seat, and nearly toppled over. She barely managed to grab on to the edge of the bar in time. Oops.

She eyed the empty glass with new respect. Perhaps that stuff was stronger than it tasted. After handing the barman the appropriate amount of dollars and a measly tip that made him glower at her, she tottered her way out.

Outside, the night was dark; the nearest streetlight burned out a long time ago. The bar, appropriately named Down and Out, was near the water front, in an ancient part of New Orleans that had known better days. The air was warm and humid, and it had rained. The pavement was slick, with puddles everywhere and Phoebe tried to make her way among them without drenching her shoes. She failed miserably.

She could have sworn she aimed for a dry square of sidewalk, yet her left foot landed in the middle of a splash of muddy water, soaking her up to her ankle. She cursed, and turned right into an alley to take a shortcut to the rundown hotel and her room.

Without streetlights, and with the moon hidden behind thick clouds, the alley was pitch black. Rats and other rodents scurried ahead as she approached; she could hear them in the rubble that cluttered the ground.

Halfway down the narrow street, Phoebe began to wonder if taking the shortcut had been such a good idea after all. When she heard a noise behind her, sounds that were definitely not animalistic, her heart skipped a beat. Footsteps clacked on the concrete, following her.

She gyrated on her toes. Her befuddled brain couldn't keep up with the sudden movement and she lost her balance. Only a quick few steps kept her from falling. She squinted, trying to make out who was following her.

All she could detect was a shadow that moved against the backdrop of the bigger street at the end of the alley. She could have sworn that- No, impossible. Fresh pain stung her heart. Perhaps she shouldn't have drunk that third Hurricane. Usually booze dulled the pain; tonight it made her see things. Visions that only deepened the ache within.

"Who is there?" Phoebe demanded. She hoped her voice sounded braver than she felt. It had been a while since she had had to confront a demon. Most likely, they thought she was done in for, powerless by her own volition. Of course, that wouldn't stop street thugs from trying to rob someone like her. A woman, alone, out in a dark night.

"Phoebe?"

Her heart jumped in her throat and stopped beating.

The clouds parted and a ray of moonlight pierced the alley, like a spotlight pointed at the stage and designating the main performer. The shadowed figure stepped into its light.

"Cole," Phoebe whispered, not believing her eyes. Her knees turned to jelly and blood pounded in her ears. If Cole hadn't jumped forward to catch her, she would have slumped onto the wet floor in a faint.

o0o

Cole opened the window and positioned himself in the sill so that he could look out over the city as it was waking up. He stubbed with his finger at a blister in the paint so it flaked off and he watched the flake flutter down until he could no longer see it. Overnight, the clouds had blown away and the sky was the kind of purple that promised it would be a bright and sunny day. He held up a hand before his eyes and flexed his fingers. It was good to be alive – if alive was what he was; once they told him he'd get to see Phoebe again, he had not really paid attention any more.

Inside the hotel room, Phoebe was still asleep on the bed, snoring softly. Probably because of the alcohol she consumed, he decided. Cole actually found the sound endearing. Life had not been kind to Phoebe, that much was clear to him. The Elders, Leo, they had refused to tell him what happened; they simply planted him in the middle of New Orleans' old harbor just as Phoebe wobbled out of a bar.

Phoebe stirred, slowly waking up and Cole turned away from the window. His lips curled in an expectant smile. He was so happy to see her again. He hoped she felt the same way.

Phoebe opened her eyes and blinked groggily.

"Good morning," he greeted her cheerfully.

Her eyes went round. "C-Cole," she stammered. "You are dead! I'm dreaming, right?" She pinched her arm. "Ow!"

Cole crossed the room until he stood beside the bed. "No dream. I'm back now."

He should have been forewarned by earlier experience but he never saw her coming. Before he realized what happened, Phoebe had thrown back the sheets, hopped from the bed and stood in front of him, eyes blazing.

"You bastard!" she hissed and slapped him so his ears rang. "You let me believe all this time that you were dead! Was it fun for you, huh, to see me grieve?" She hit him again, pummeling his chest and shoulders with her fists.

"Phoebe! Stop it!" he cried, trying to get hold of her flailing hands. At least she didn't clog him in the jaw or kick him in the ribs with her shoe this time.

At last her fury was spent and he managed to grab her wrists as she began to sob against his shirt. He held her close, supporting her, stroking her hair and murmuring sweet nothings.

"It's the truth, Phoebe," he whispered when her sobs abated. "I did die. I never lied to you since the day that you spared my life. I spent the last fifteen years in limbo, until Leo's Elders sent me back. I had no idea-"

Phoebe pulled away and looked up at him, her cheeks tear-streaked and her eyes red-rimmed. She studied him for a few moments. "You haven't changed at all," she said softly, her voice full of wonder. Then her cheeks colored and she turned her back on him. "Don't look at me," she mumbled.

"What? Why?" Cole asked, confused. He put his hands on her shoulders to turn her back but she shrugged him off and stepped out of reach.

"Please. It's been a long time. I'm not the Phoebe you knew."

Cole suddenly realized what this was about. "Phoebe," he said as gently as he could, "you're as beautiful as ever."

She shook her head and her shoulders trembled. "Don't start lying now," she muttered.

"I'm not," Cole said. He touched her shoulder and this time she didn't pull away. He turned her around and placed a finger beneath her chin to tip up her face. "You're still Phoebe, right? I still love you. Nothing's changed. Unless-" All emotion left his voice. "Unless you found someone else?"

"What?" she asked. "No… No, I didn't."

He let out a sigh of relief. It had not occurred to him until this moment that she might have moved on, might have found someone else to love.

"Why are you here?" she murmured as she allowed him to embrace her.

He kissed the top of her head. Business could wait. "Does it matter? I'm back, that's the important thing. C'mon, let's get out of here and find a better place to stay. And then you can help me shop because this is all the wardrobe I have!" He motioned at the clothes he was wearing and the coat he had draped over the chair.

### Ours is not to reason why

"I'm beat!" Phoebe let out a heavy breath and dropped the bags she was carrying. She plopped backwards onto the four-poster bed. The mattress bounced beneath her weight and she giggled.

After they left the rundown hotel at the harbor Cole had taken her to the French Quarter and checked them into the Hotel Monteleone. Phoebe had protested at the expense but Cole had smiled and told her that only the best was good enough for her.

Cole laughed and added his share to the pile of bags. "Not too beat, I hope," he said with a grin and a meaningful look at the bed. Phoebe caught the look and sat back up, her face serious. Cole abruptly remembered what he had done right before he took his own life and he flushed with embarrassment.

"I- I'm sorry," he stammered, turning away from Phoebe. "I didn't- I mean-"

A small hand on his wrist stopped him. "I know," Phoebe said. "Cole, it happened a long time ago. And it wasn't you. It was Belthazor."

"I should have stopped him," Cole said, his voice low and bitter. "How can you ever forgive me?"

"Simple," Phoebe replied. She wrapped her fingers in his hair and forced his head down. "There's nothing to forgive." The words were a whispered breath against his lips, a moment before her mouth closed over his.

Fifteen years of limbo faded from memory at the touch of her soft lips, as did the image of Belthazor performing his gruesome act. Cole reached around Phoebe to place his hands beneath her buttocks. He lifted her with ease and she wrapped her legs around his hips, her mouth never breaking contact.

"Please, Cole," she whispered. "It's been so long. Please, make love to me? I missed you so much."

Cole didn't need the encouragement. A few strides and he reached the bed where he gently lowered her onto the silk sheets. Straddling her, he rested on his hands and knees while his eyes searched hers for confirmation. Was this really what she wanted? Phoebe's eyes held nothing but love and trust; there was not a single sign of fear or doubt in their brown depths.

She smiled. Cole raised one arm and with a light finger trailed her jawline before he cupped her face in his hand and bent down for another kiss. It had been so long, for both of them; he wanted to make it last.

o0o

It wasn't until much, much later, when a thin sliver of moon smiled down upon them through the window, that Phoebe asked him again why he was back. They lay tangled in the sheets, arms and legs entwined, their skins still damp from their lovemaking. Her head rested on Cole's chest and her fingers traced idle patterns on his skin.

His hand brushed a strand of her hair from her temple while he collected his thoughts. "They want you to go back," he said. "To go home. To set things right with Prue and Piper."

Phoebe lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest while she studied his face. "That's all?" she asked, her tone suggesting she didn't believe it was. "They let you come back after fifteen damn years to tell me I should make up with my sisters?" Her voice was full of bitterness for the years lost and Cole couldn't blame her.

"No," he admitted. "That's not all. They need the Power of Three restored, before the turn of the year."

"Why?" Phoebe asked. She raised herself onto her elbows, breaking contact in the process. The nerve endings in his skin protested the loss and he reached out to stroke her back.

"I'm not certain," Cole said. He gave her a lopsided smile. "Something to do with a portal opening to other worlds, the boundaries between different realms weakening."

"So they need the Charmed Ones to stop that from happening? To close the portal? And if we do, then what? They'll take you away from me again?"

"I don't know," Cole said. "Maybe. All I know is what they told me: that the Power of Three is the only thing that stands between us and the evils that would pour through the portal."

Phoebe sat up and wrapped a sheet around her body before she got off the bed and started pacing the room. "So that explains why Leo tried to contact me after three years, " she murmured.

She looked like a fierce bride, Cole thought, with her long hair flowing, her eyes flashing and the white sheet trailing after her like a veil. He pushed the thought away and concentrated on her words.

"No," Phoebe decided. "I'm not going. I'm not going to do their dirty work for them. They'll have to find another flunky."

"Phoebe." Cole scooted into his pants and walked up behind her. She had stopped at the window and was staring out across the glittering display of nighttime New Orleans. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed his cheek against hers. "Phoebe, you shouldn't blame the Elders for what happened. Or your sisters."

"I know." Phoebe's voice was filled with unshed tears. "It was my f-"

"No!" Cole interrupted, harsher than he had intended. "Don't. Don't blame yourself. Ever. There was nothing you could have said or done to stop me. I'm sorry I abandoned you but I thought I was doing the right thing."

She turned around and lifted up her face. Moisture glistened in her brown eyes. "Don't leave me again, Cole. Promise me."

His eyes scanned her features. A single drop slipped through her lashes and trickled slowly down her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb. "I promise."

Cole knew he had no business making such a promise; technically he was dead and he didn't know what the Elders had in mind for him after he reunited Phoebe with her sisters. But he couldn't resist the desperate plea in her eyes.

Phoebe smiled through her tears before leaning her forehead against his chest. He pulled her close against him and held her for a long, long time.

### A sadder and a wiser sister

"Nervous?" Cole asked when the cab turned into Prescott Street a few days later.

Phoebe gave him a tremulous smile. "A little," she admitted. "Some harsh words have been said between us." Phoebe remembered the accusations and recriminations as if they had been voiced yesterday.

"That's in the past, " Cole assured her. "They'll understand. Believe me, your sisters will be so glad to see you again." He reached for her hand and gave her an encouraging squeeze. Grateful, she squeezed back.

Cole was right; it had been a long time. A lot of water had passed under the bridge since. However, she couldn't help worry that Piper and Prue would not forgive her long absence, or that she never sent word of her whereabouts. But she had come this far; she wasn't about to turn away now.

She watched as Cole paid the driver. He had wanted to try and shimmer them to San Francisco, although he was not sure if the Elders had permitted him to keep that power. Phoebe had refused to try. She needed the time of travel, so she said, to think about what to say to her sisters. Cole had not argued and Phoebe suspected he knew the real reason for her refusal: it had been years since she used magic and she was a little frightened to return to the world of spells and potions.

Once she stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the front door, Phoebe craned her head and looked up. The trees had grown bigger and the lawn could use a trimming but otherwise the Manor looked exactly like she remembered.

She heaved a sigh, took another deep breath and started up the stairs. Cole followed closely on her heels, for which she was very grateful. With Cole present, she didn't feel so much like the prodigal sister returning home at last.

Cole rang the bell and a few seconds later the door swung open. Phoebe opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. The girl before her was unfamiliar.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Phoebe could only stare. The girl was a budding teenager, twelve, thirteen, maybe, with long dark hair framing an oval face. Two blue eyes looked curiously at Phoebe. Phoebe struggled for her voice.

"We are looking for Prue or Piper Halliwell," Cole said and Phoebe cast him a thankful look.

"Mo-om!" the girl yelled over her shoulder. "It's for you."

Mom? She was an aunt! What else had she missed?

"Phoebe? Is that really you?" Piper appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hair contained a few strands of gray and there were a couple more wrinkles around her eyes but other than that her sister hadn't changed a bit, Phoebe decided. Piper even sported the oft-seen streak of flour on her cheek.

She wiped her hands on her apron and stared at her sister, her skin pale beneath the powder.

"Still baking those blueberry muffins, sis?" Phoebe asked, desperate to break the awkward silence. Her voice was hoarse, even to her own ears, and she cringed.

"Oh my God," Piper breathed. Her lips turned up and her eyes crinkled as she smiled. "It's you! Come on in! This is my daughter, Melinda. Melinda, this is your Aunt Phoebe. And- Cole!" Again, Piper paled when she recognized the tall man that had arrived with her sister. "I thought you were d-"

"You're right, I am. I think," Cole broke in with a meaningful look at Melinda. The girl was staring with unveiled interest at her aunt and her aunt's companion. Cole gave Phoebe a gentle push and she stepped over the threshold.

"Prue? Leo!" Piper called over her shoulder while pulling Phoebe into a tight embrace. "Look who's here!"

Leo appeared from the sunroom. "Hello Phoebe," he said, and gave her a hug. A distant part of her mind noted that he didn't look at all surprised to see her.

Prue's voice drifted from upstairs. "Coming!" She sounded muffled and Phoebe knew she was in the attic.

She walked to the foot of the stairs and looked up, expectant and a tad concerned. How would Prue react to her return? She had said some awful things to her eldest sister.

The moment Prue saw her, Phoebe knew she need not have worried. Prue raced down the final few steps of the stairs and wrapped her arms around her baby sister. "Phoebe! Welcome home." Phoebe returned her embrace, relieved with the welcome.

The lights flickered. The large chandelier over their heads tinkled and swayed slowly. Everyone looked up. Then everything was quiet.

"Dad?" Melinda was the first to break the silence. "What was that?"

"That, honey," Leo said with a huge grin on his face, "was the restoration of the Power of Three."

The three sisters shared another hug; they were happy to be reunited. Phoebe reveled in the feeling of being wanted and accepted. It had been so long, she had forgotten how much she missed her family and she wondered why she had not returned sooner. If not for Cole-

The thought of her lover made her pull out of her sisters' arms and she turned around. Cole was several feet away, half-hidden in the shadows, watching them. She couldn't quite make out his face; however, his drooping shoulders spoke volumes. "Cole? What's wrong?" Phoebe asked. Deep in her heart she feared that she knew the answer.

"My job is done," he said softly, sadly. "I have to go."

Her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. "What?" Phoebe exclaimed. "Go? Now? Cole, you can't go! You promised!" Anger warred with anxiety for precedence. She struggled to stay calm but couldn't help the edge of hysteria that crept into her tone.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe, I have to. I would like nothing better than to stay with you but I have no choice. I was sent back to reunite you with your sisters. Now that that's done-" He gestured, a helpless shrug. "I should not have made that promise-" His voice trailed off.

He looked so abashed that she couldn't be upset with him. Instead, she directed her wrath elsewhere. "'Them' again, huh," she said bitterly. She whirled to face Leo. "Leo, you can go and tell them that the instant they take Cole away-"

"Phoebe, no!" Cole interrupted before she could fully voice the threat. He took her shoulders and his eyes bored into hers. "Don't punish yourself; don't punish your sisters."

"Cole, I need you," Phoebe sobbed. She clutched at his shirt and hid her face against his chest.

Cole shook his head. "No, you don't," he said. "You have your family now, your sisters. Phoebe, I need to go. You know I do."

She gave a nod, the gesture half hidden by the folds of his shirt. Yes, she did. She pulled back her head and lifted a tear-streaked face up at him. The thought of him leaving hurt so much that the pain was almost physical.

He offered her a sad smile that was full of love. With his fingers he wiped the tears from her face. "You'll be fine, Phoebe. I know you will."

Phoebe raised herself on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. "I love you, Cole. Nothing will change that." They could take him away but they could never take away the love she felt for this man that had given her so much.

Cole smiled. "I love you too, Phoebe. Good bye." A swirl of bright lights and Cole was gone.

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "He- He orbed! Did you see that? Cole orbed. Leo, how can he orb?"

"He did not orb, exactly, " Leo said. He gave a knowing smile. "He's with your mother and grandmother – your great-grandmother," he added in his daughter's direction. "He'll be around if you need him, like they are."

Phoebe stared at Leo for a long minute until he shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze. "Hmm. I guess it'll have to do," she murmured. She wasn't quite ready yet to forgive the Elders for taking Cole away from her so shortly after their reunion. However, she was happy to know he would be with her loved ones until she was ready to join them.

She raised her eyes toward the ceiling. "I love you, Cole." And was it her imagination? Or did she indeed feel a feathery brush across her lips? A touch so light it could have been a mere whiff of air, yet a touch that was so familiar to her.

A small smile played around her mouth when she turned around again and faced her sisters. "Let's sit down," she suggested. "We have so much catching up to do."

Prue and Piper nodded in agreement and linked their arms through Phoebe's. Together, the three sisters walked into the sunroom.

***


End file.
